How to Register a Car in Illinois

All vehicles must be registered through the Illinois Secretary of State’s (SOS) office. If you have just moved to Illinois, you must register your vehicle within 30 days in person at the SOS office. Auto insurance must be purchased before registering the vehicle.

New resident registration

If you are new resident and wish to register you vehicle you must provide the following:

A completed application for vehicle transaction form

Evidence you live in Illinois

Registration and title

Description of vehicle, such as make, model, and year, VIN, and date of purchase

Tax forms, which depend on whether you bought from a private seller or dealer

Registration fee, which is $101

Tax fees, which are based on the value of the car

As soon as you buy or receive a vehicle in Illinois, whether you have purchased it or inherited it, you have 20 days to register it. If you purchase it from a dealer, they send all of the documents to the SOS office. It is important to double check with the dealer to make sure everything is completed. If you bought your vehicle from a private seller, you must register the vehicle yourself, in person, at the local SOS office.

Registering a vehicle

To register any vehicle you need to provide the following:

A completed application for vehicle transaction

The title of the vehicle signed by the previous owner

Lienholders’ addresses and names, if applicable

A filled out odometer disclosure statement for title transfer

The Tax Form RUT-50 Private Party Vehicle Tax Transaction

Pay registration fees, which are $101

Taxes are based on the value of the vehicle

Military members who are not residents of Illinois must have auto insurance and proper registration on their vehicles from their home state. If this is not done, a law enforcement officer can pull you over and risk getting a fine.

Illinois does not require emissions testing to register a vehicle. However, vehicles are required to have regular emissions tests. You can do this by submitting your VIN to the Title and Registration Status Inquiry page, which will tell you if you need an emissions test.

Related questions

Q: Expired registration and inspection

Hello. It appears that a NYS inspection is required in order to renew the registration, so it would appear that, yes, you can get an NYS inspection with an expired registration. I would recommend taking it to the nearest inspection...

Q: Antique vs custom built registration.

Q: I had a shop from http://BMWmechanicBoca.Com tell me that I may need a battery registered for my BMW

Hello, thank you for writing in. Typically when you are prompted to register a new part or accessory, you are doing so for the warranty. This is a process of contacting the company and letting them know that you have...